Walker Adventures

Home for the Holidays!

2011-02-26T14:03:00.001+02:00

We were so happy to come home again for the holidays this year. We started with a few days at the Rietz home. Jackson was so excited to see Leif and Ocea, and of course we're always over the moon to get time with Kim and Jed. We exchanged gifts.Ocea and Leif dug right into their new books and art kits.Jackson was thrilled with his Big Bird doll.Thanks for picking that one out Aunt Kim!
We even visited Santa Claus together. Jackson wasn't quite up for sitting ON Santa, but he got close!We also got in a quick visit with the Baines's. I can't believe how long I've been friends with these two girls...(Laura for 15 years and Kim for 23 years!)Next stop, Bellingham - to Grandma's house!Jackson was a big fan of the microphone in Grandma's music room.What a beautiful Christmas tree! Check out the TONS of gifts underneath! And Jackson was ready to dig in this year with the presents! Even a paper bag seemed like a great present :)It could be used as a back pack after-all.We had a wonderful Christmas celebration at Grandma's. We got to spend time with Aunt Sammy.And G-G and Uncle Peter ("Unca Petoo").And Aunt Liz...who seriously scored with Jackson's gifts - An Ernie doll AND Elmo pajamas!He carried the Ernie doll all around...and had to put on the Elmo PJ's immediately when he saw them!Jackson was spoiled with gifts.The tool set from Unca Petoo was another big hit.Cool new motorcycle!But he was really hoping to go for a ride on it. Why isn't this working?Actually, with Grandma Kathy's recent trip to China, we were ALL spoiled with gifts! Check out Mommy's new pearls!And Jackson's silk Chinese pajamas...It took a long time, but we finally made it through ALL the gifts! Phew...Jackson was wiped out!We had a British themed dinner with Roast beef, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes....And I made my first Yorkshire pudding. Can you see the pride?What a Merry Christmas!For New Years we were invited to the beautiful Foote home for a couple of nights. There were 9 adults and 8 kids in the mix the first night (even more the 2nd night). Check out this meal-time set-up!After dinner and play-time we got the kiddos into pajamas and all ready for bed. Jackson was, of course, sporting his new Elmo pj's.And once the kids were in bed, the real fun began. What's happening, you ask? Why, preparations for the big Nerf battle.It was a bring your own, anything goes, boys vs. girls (mostly) battle.
Did I mention it was going to be in the dark? Hence, the dark clothing. Oh, yeah...we're ready. We had a blast! I don't know how accurate or successful I was, but at least I looked the part. I think we'll be making the Nerf battle an annual tradition :)The next day was new year's eve. We enjoyed some good family time.And the kids played really well together...most of the time :)Then later that evening we got all the kiddos dressed up... For a New Year's dance party!Complete with karaoke!And the big 9pm New Year's Eve countdown (Eastern Standard Time)! The kids all cheered, hugged and kissed before heading off to bed.Of course, after kid bed-time, the adult shenanigans continued.There was more karaoke...I even got Cisco to sing.And dancing... Nice moves Kim!What a fun group of friends we have!Happy New Year everyone!After the new year, we headed to Spokane for a Christmas celebration with the Bradfords. Jackson added another buddy to his Sesame Street collection. Cookie!And Grandma and Grandpa got Jackson an awesome Toy Story set...He was amazed! He loves Toy Story and plays with these guys constantly!
After 2 short days, Cisco went back to Seattle to catch a flight back to Prague. Jackson and I stayed a month in Spokane with my parents. We did lots of shopping!And had some great family time. Jackson especially enjoyed his cousins this time!And at the end of the month we had a (one month early) 2-year old birthday party with the family since they would miss the actual 2-year old party in Prague.More gifts! Wow...what a lucky boy. And another Sesame Street buddy - kissing Elmo! Thanks, Aunt Em!We really had a wonderful month in Spokane. I let Cisco take the big camera home with him, so we didn't get many pics, but we definitely have great memories!

Bavaria

2010-11-02T22:16:00.012+02:00

For October break we decided to go to Bavaria. We got a great recommendation from some friends for a lovely pension.It was quiet, comfortable and very picturesque.We stayed in the small town of Lake Hopfen.It was just a 15 minute drive from Neuschwanstein Castle...the inspiration for Cinderella's Castle in Disneyland.Being October, we were actually hoping to enjoy the Fall scenery, colorful leaves, etc. But instead we arrived just in time for the first snow.It was stunning! We got to enjoy beautiful snow, beautiful sun, and the fall colors as well.During the day we toured the castles. Our first castle tour was of the smaller castle right next to Neuschwanstein called Hohenschwangau. This castle was home to Mad Kind Ludwig II for many years before his death. If you click to enlarge this photo, you can just see Neuschwanstein in the hills in the background.We signed up for the castle tour, but weren't sure if our 1 and 1/2 year old would would be able to get through it.Thankfully, he managed. And it was well worth it. The castle was very ornately decorated...you could tell Ludwig was a bit of an eccentric. And the views were stunning. Can you imagine that as the view from your bedroom window? Seriously...click to enlarge this one.From Hohenschwangau we walked up the hill toward Neuschwanstein.Jackson made it through another castle tour...what a good boy. Then Cisco headed higher up the mountain to get a few pictures of the surrounding area.And an incredible view of the castle.Then it was back to Lake Hopfen for the evening.We enjoyed a walk through the town. And Jackson got to meet his first horses up close. He was fascinated!The lake was just gorgeous after sunset. What a beautiful place to stay!The next day we started our journey home. We made a few stops along the way. The first was at the Castle Linderhof.This was a summer cottage for King Ludwig II. Wouldn't it be nice to have such a "cottage"?The grounds were just gorgeous.Swans and all.Jackson definitely enjoyed some play time out of the car before we headed off to our next destination.Oberammergau is famous for putting on "The Passion" play every ten years. We decided to stop and check out the small town. We went into a lovely church.Jackson was much more interested in the small box of children's books than the ornate decorations.Then we took a little time wandering through the town.Jackson and Daddy explored a small garden.It was a lovely little town...but not much happening at this time of year. We almost had the place to ourselves.We did make a stop at the theater dedicated to the Passion play. Unfortunately, we missed the play season by just a couple of months. Back on our way it was getting late, so we decided to cut our drive time and spend a night in Regensburg. We got a good night's sleep then got out to see the town the next morning.Like all good German cities, they had a beautiful cathedral.We just enjoyed a morning of wandering.And Jackson is always happy to stretch his legs.Great stopover....And Jackson slept the rest of the way back home to Prague!

Fall Activities in Prague

2010-10-10T11:31:00.001+02:00

Jackson and I arrived back in Prague mid-September, took about a week to get over our jet-lag, then started filling up our days with all kinds of activities. One of Jackson's favorites is The Little Gym.They have all kinds of equipment to climb on.They practice skills that require strength...And balance...Coordination...And independence...Jackson is so strong! Here he's practicing the pull-over move with his teacher, Jana.Jackson loves exploring at The Little Gym.Each week is a little different.

But every week is super fun!And did I mention the cute girls?If you want to see more, there's a video we've uploaded to youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKzCoxchj7Q
Another of our Fall favorite activities has been a weekly music play group.We sit in a circle, sing songs, and play all kinds of musical instruments. Well...at least that's what most of the kids do. Jackson is so active that sitting in a circle is too much to ask. So, he climbs on things and watches...occasionally joining in the group activities. He usually claps and shouts "Yah" at the end of each song, so I know he's enjoying it.And one song that he's always in to is Row, Row, Row Your Boat. He loves to row, row, row with his favorite friend, Molly. And after the singing, there's always extra time to play.It has been a busy Fall! We've had a few trips to the zoo.We've had birthday parties.And lots of fun play dates. We've met some great new friends this Fall.And reconnected with friends from last year, too.Jackson has definitely found himself a new best friend this year. Molly is a just few weeks older than Jackson. He loves her.And she loves him, too.We've spent a lot of time at the park this Fall.Prague has been revamping all their parks and they've done an awesome job.They have lots to explore...and all the play surfaces are soft so if they fall they don't really hurt themselves. And they're really well taken care of.Jackson's getting so big.Again, if you want to see more, check out our video on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY1p72R3HX4
Weekends have been a special time since that's when Daddy's home. Jackson LOVES playing with his daddy. Cisco thought maybe Jackson would enjoy doing some yoga with him.He's a natural!But he got bored with it pretty quick. He decided that Daddy made a nice place to drive his car.Hope you all have had as fun a Fall as we have!

Jackson is 18 Months Old!

2010-09-20T21:26:00.001+02:00

Check out our cutie-patootie in the bathtub. He's practicing his ABC's and counting. If the video doesn't work in this blog view, you can just follow the link to youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqZuyM9YWGU

Silver Mountain Water Park

2010-08-28T18:09:00.001+02:00

We went to the new Silver Mountain indoor water park with the Ruffcorn family.Jackson loved spending time with his cousins (and, though not pictured here, Aunt "Lala" and Uncle "Nyan").The Silver Mountain Village was quaint, though quiet in the summer. Our apartment at the lodge was awesome...as is evident by the claw-foot tub Maggie and Abby are enjoying!And the water park was super fun! There was something for everyone.Jackson loved going down the "big" slide with Mom. The pic is blurry...but you can definitely get the idea.And we all really enjoyed floating around the lazy river.We are definitely making this trip again!

Hanging with Brandon

2010-08-25T20:32:00.001+02:00

Cousin Aly and her son, Brandon, came over to play at the Bradford house! Brandon's about 10 months older than Jackson.Jackson thought he was pretty cool. Here he's trying to give him a kiss...Brandon's not so sure about it.But he did go for the high-5 before they left.Too bad these kiddos don't live closer together. They could be great playmates. I guess there's always the summers!

Spokane with Grandma Gena and Grandpa Jack

2010-08-23T18:06:00.002+02:00

Cisco had to head back to Prague to start the school year, while Jackson and I spent a month in Spokane with my family. I had Cisco take the big camera with him and figured I could just use my parents' camera. But, somehow, I ended up with only one picture from our time at the Bradford house. I think they all ended up on Grandma and Grandpa's computer and I never burnt them on a disc to bring home. As soon as I get some of the pics or some of the video that we took, they'll replace this blog.

Funnily enough, the one picture I have is of Jackson wearing Abby's shoes :) He really loves shoes...and to be fair, not just girls' shoes! Grandpa's shoes were also a favorite.Activities at Grandma and Grandpa's house included:
Playing on the little tykes slide they bought for him.
Playing with any of the hundreds of toys Grandma and Grandpa have for him.
Swimming in the blow up pool in the back yard.
Running through the sprinkler in the back yard.
Playing at the Shadle splash pad.
Going for bike rides.
Shopping with Grandma and Mom (not Jackson's favorite activity).
Playing with the visiting cousins, aunts and uncles.

But until I get more photos, I'll just say that we had a fantastic time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It is always so much fun to be with them. We LOVE our time in Spokane!

The Walker Camp Out 2010

2010-08-08T19:01:00.000+02:00

Because of a late start to the school year, we finally made it to the Walker annual Camp Out. Cisco camped for the weekend with his dad and brother, Dylan. Here's Dylan, relaxing between attempts at slack-lining...a hip new sport like tight-rope walking with a twist. Incidentally, Cisco bought a slack-line after trying it with Dylan. The Bradford clan came up for the Saturday meal, which includes a spit-roasted turkey and beef roast.We got to introduce Jackson to some more extended family members.Also, got to see Aunt Marcia and Uncle Frank again!Grandpa Jack and I even had some down time to play gin.Jackson's working out some strategy.In the end, we think he could get into this camping lifestyle. Maybe next year he'll actually camp! :)

Hood Canal

2010-08-06T17:32:00.000+02:00

Finishing up our time on the west side of the mountains, we took a trip to Hood Canal for a few days with the Baines Duo. While they are currently building their home just a mile or so down the beach, they are renting a home with this lovely beach front.They have their own oyster beach, which we took full advantage of while we were there. We enjoyed grilled oysters each day.We had a fun time playing on the beach. (If you zoom in you can see, on Jackson's cheek, remnants of our boy's big injury this summer...he pulled a ladder down on himself...ouch!)The water in the canal was awesome...the perfect temperature! We just had to be careful of all the sharp barnacles.We went kayaking each day. It was so much fun to be out on the water. We even got to see some seals.Evenings were especially beautiful and peaceful.We hung out at the fire pit, roasted marshmallows, and made campfire eclairs (my favorite).What a wonderful time. Thanks Baines Family! We can't wait to spend more time with you at the Hood!

Rietz Family - How Ya Doin'?

2010-07-31T16:09:00.001+02:00

The Rietz Family generously offered us a room in their home for 3 weeks in July. We loved it! The kids had a great time playing together...And of course, we always love our time with Kim and Jed. It never seems to be enough. We spent lots of evenings hanging out on the patio.The backyard was a perfect place for Jackson to explore.Mess? What mess?And inside...well...there were Ocea's pink sparkly shoes.And Ocea's yellow shoes with flowers on them.Okay...and TONS of toys for Jackson to enjoy. (But he did really like playing dress up with Ocea. And the pictures were just too great to pass up posting.) We also enjoyed some local parks.The country village had an awesome slide...particularly great for the "troll under the slide" game we played with Uncle Jed.They even had a choo choo train!These daily play times were great, but we also had a couple of awesome big outings. We went to family night at the Mariners.Jackson was sporting his new Mariner Moose hat from Grandma Kathy.The kids all thought the stadium was awesome!And, who am I kidding, the adults thought it was pretty cool, too.Jackson's checking out the players on the field.And he even got to meet the Mariner Moose.We had to leave early to get the kids to bed, but we made it to the 7th inning stretch.Another exciting outing was to the Children's Museum in Everett. The exhibits were really interesting.And educational. Jackson's watching as Leif digs for dinosaur bones.And here's the crew getting ready for some construction.We even did some science. Zoom in and check out the static electricity on Jackson's hair!Another big outing we had with the Rietz family was a hike to Barclay Lake. We always love walking and exploring in the NW forests.
Leif and Ocea were amazing - they didn't have to be carried through the whole hike. They inspired Jackson to get out of the backpack and do some walking himself.Actually, it would have been easier if he would have stayed in the backpack...but he was INSISTENT upon getting out.About a mile and a half in was a big clearing and beautiful Barclay Lake.We got on our swimsuits. (But first, Jackson had to check himself out.)And played in the chilly water.
What a beautiful place!And what fun times!Here's the Rietz photo album cover.And the Walkers.Thanks Rietz Family! We had such a wonderful time with you all!

Walker BBQ

2010-07-25T18:55:00.000+02:00

Once again, thank you to Frank and Marcia for hosting the annual Walker/Hagel BBQ! We had a great time, enjoyed delicious food and fantastic company!

Quick Shout Out to Great Friends...

2010-07-20T17:19:00.001+02:00

Kim...the best friend a girl could ask for. Malea...my friend since our parents had us in church nursery together. SO many memories with these amazing women. And so fun to make new ones....My friends for life.Love you, Ladies!

Whidbey Island

2010-07-18T17:24:00.000+02:00

My wonderful friend, Jen Van Nuys, got married on Whidbey Island in July. Here we are waiting in line to get on the ferry. Ice cream always helps the wait go faster.It was a gorgeous day.Jackson loved checking out the water and the other boats.What a sweet boy!We stayed at a great house on the water. It was so relaxing...we wished we could have spent a week there.Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera to the BEAUTIFUL wedding. But, I will tell you, the location was stunning, every detail thought through to the finest point, the bride was a classic beauty and wonderful host, and everyone had an awesome time! Congratulations Brodie and Jen!

A Little Time in B-ham!

2010-07-16T10:39:00.000+02:00

After our fantastic trip to the coast, we spent a few days up in Bellingham with Cisco's family. We were there for the 4th of July, which we celebrated tamely at Grandma Kathy's house. Well...pretty tamely. I guess there was some excitement :)Jackson enjoyed his time with the fam.And there were some beautiful deer that we got to visit at Grandma Kathy's house.Jackson tried to feed them some apples.But got a little too close and chased them away.We also visited Cornwall Park for some family fun.Swinging is one of Jackson's all time favorites...clearly.They also had a splash pad at the park.Jackson loves to play in the water.Where did the water go?
Such good times!

Lake Quinalt

2010-07-01T13:40:00.000+02:00

Toward the end of our week at Moclips, we took a short side trip with Grandma Kathy to Lake Quinalt and the beautiful Quinalt Rain Forest.As we headed out for a walk through the rain forest, Cisco noticed some salmon berries.Jackson was very curious. We love the Northwest forest.So many educational opportunities.Jackson was fascinated with all the tall trees.Like father, like son.There were some giant old trees in the Quinalt Rain Forest.And Mom had a chance to play dare-devil...one of her favorite activities.We explored in the creek.Such nice family time.Then we headed down the path to the world's largest spruce tree.Um...yep...it's huge alright!Awww.Just a little more time checking out the beautiful lake.And some of the lovely surroundings.Then Jackson was absolutely pooped out, so we headed back to the beach house.

Moclips Beach Trip

2010-06-30T13:33:00.001+02:00

This year's summer vacation in the US started with a trip to the beautiful Washington Coast.We rented a house on beautiful Moclips beach with Grandma Kathy, Aunt Sam and Uncle Lucas and Great Grandma ("G-G") Charlotte.As you can see, the ocean views were wonderful. But even better, was an opportunity to spend time with family!This was Jackson's first trip to the ocean.And his first experience with real sand (that is...sand outside of the sandbox).He was digging it! Get it...digging it AND digging it :)The first few days were pretty typical Washington Coast weather.But we bundled up and went down to the beach anyway. If Seattleites stayed inside every time the weather was gray and cold, they'd miss a lot of good times.Jackson enjoyed exploring the dunes with Dad.And playing in the sand with Grandma Kathy.They REALLY got into it!We ventured...ever so slightly...into the water. It was FREEZING!Jackson thought it was pretty neat...but he did have a hard time staying on his feet as he sunk into the sand.A few days in, we were blessed with beautiful blue skies. Yes, that's right, beautiful blue skies on the Washington Coast. So, Jackson got his summer gear on.He's so cool... We settled in at the beach.And enjoyed soaking up a little sun.The water was a little more tolerable on such a lovely day.Actually...a lot more tolerable. Cisco and I even managed to go all the way in - VERY quickly. Really, we went in the ocean knowing that we could run back to the house and jump in the hot tub :) When we weren't enjoying the beach, there were plenty of good times at the house.We even had a couple of visits from family members. Cisco got to catch up with a couple of his cousins. (We also had a great visit with Aunt Marcia and Uncle Frank...but unfortunately didn't get any pics!)And one thing that I always love about being at the ocean is the incredible sunsets. BEAUTIFUL!

Bradfords and Walkers Go to Italy

2010-04-30T14:10:00.001+02:00

Grandma and Grandpa Bradford made their annual trip to Prague this year in April. We planned a week-long holiday with them to Italy starting in beautiful Venice!The trip started a little rough as we arrived at Prague airport and realized we had left an entire suitcase back at our apartment. That was a first for us. It contained all of my clothing and most of Jackson's. With not enough time to go back and get it, we considered leaving Cisco behind to catch the next flight, but decided we would make it work without the bag. Thankfully, Grandma Gena and I wear the same size and paying for another ticket would cost as much as buying new clothes. After the initial mishap, the trip went smoothly with an easy 1-hour plane ride, 40-minute bus ride into Venice, and a 5 minute walk to our hotel/apartment. The Bradfords took one for the team and grabbed the loft bedroom (which we all agreed was not the safest place for Jackson). Though climbing the stairs to the loft turned into one of his favorite past-times during our stay.So, the Bradfords gave the Walkers the room with this lovely canal view. Thanks Mom and Dad!Jackson preferred the view from the loft window...it was a little more his height.Touring the city was wonderful. The canals, gondolas, bridges, buildings, and piazzas (not pizzas...though they were good, too) made for a wonderful atmosphere. We walked through the canal streets and across who knows how many of the 400 bridges connecting Venice.Jackson loved pointing out the boats as they passed.We also made our way around using the Vaporetti (water bus) system. Jackson's enjoying the ride with Grandma and Grandpa. The Vaporetti go up and down the Grand Canal. The views were very enchanting from the vantage of the boat. Maybe it didn't have quite the same ambiance as a gondola ride, but it didn't cost 120 Euros an hour either!One of our first tourist destinations was St. Mark's Square and Basilica. Jackson quickly showed his love for pigeons.And was fascinated when we could get up close to them and feed them.Jackson even got to feed some pigeons. Though at times he wasn't sure if he wanted to feed the bread to the pigeons or eat it himself. Check out this video of our little 13-month-old in motion.

Feeding the pigeons was a favorite activity for Grandma Gena, too! I definitely got my love of animals from my Momma.A very special part of vacationing with Grandma and Grandpa was getting to go out on a couple of date nights with my hubby while Nana and Bapa (as Jackson so fondly calls them) stayed back with the babe. We ate fantastic food and walked through the quiet streets taking in the views.Speaking of food, we all thoroughly enjoyed the Italian gelato throughout our trip. It was a big hit with Jackson...zoom in on this pic for a close-up of his choco-mustache.
Another of Jackson's favorite activities on the trip was playing in water...wherever he could find it. This fountain was just outside our apartment and I think Jax would have spent most of his days there if he could have.
So, basically, in order to make Jackson happy, all we have to do is go someplace with stairs, puddles, and ice cream.After four days in Venice, we took a train to Florence for a couple of days. It was a huge change of pace, as we arrived in this bustling city. There was a lot to see in just a couple of days. First stop was Il Duomo. One of our friends said it best, "It looks like a giant frosted cake."Il Duomo has a very famous domed ceiling. It really is magnificent. If you zoom in on this one maybe you can make out the scene - Heaven on one side and Hell on the other. That Hell side looks pretty dang scary! Cisco climbed the 463 steps to the top, getting a close-up view of the dome and also some spectacular city views. (The rest of us made our way down the awesome market street!)The next day we decided to take the Open Bus city tour. Jackson had a front row seat & thought it was pretty great.First stop was the Uffizi Gallery. It's a beautiful museum featuring Italian artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo. It's quite large, and luck was with us as Jackson fell asleep just before we got in.Here we are in the courtyard of the museum after Jackson had woken and needed some time to stretch his legs.
Next, we went to Santa Croce, the church where Michelangelo is buried.Here is Michelangelo's tomb. It has 3 sculptures on it - one representing a painter, one an architect, and one a sculptor.Coming out of Santa Croce we walked through a lovely courtyard. It's so nice to have my Momma around.After Santa Croce we hopped back on the Open Bus to our next tourist destination, Piazzale Michelangiolo, which offered unbelievable views of the city.
Florence is right on the edge of the Tuscany region and you could really see it in the landscape here.On our final day in Florence we had two goals...One, see Michelangelo's David at Galleria dell'Accademia. It really was an incredible piece of art. It's hard to describe, but it's one of those famous things to check off your list that when you actually see it, you know exactly why it is so built up. Our second goal before leaving the city was a little shopping. We found an indoor market with TONS of delicious Italian foods and drinks. Had we known we were going to take a train home instead of a plane, we would have purchased loads more than we did. We left Florence and headed back to Venice for a little more exploring before catching our flight the following day.As it turns out, the Icelandic volcano eruption caused our flight to be canceled. Since we were "stuck" in Italy, we decided to see a new city...The fair city of Verona - setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
We took a train from the airport to Verona and were pleasantly surprised with the city. It was big enough that there were things to see each day, but small enough that we got a few days of down time before our next rescheduled departure (3 days later than we had originally planned). Verona has it's own Roman arena. It's actually the 3rd largest in the world.And it had giant steps for Jackson to climb.Looking down from the arena into the main square - Piazza Bra. We happened to be there during their big weekend market. Lucky us - more delicious Italian cuisine!We also saw Juliet's balcony - that is, a balcony that they think must have looked like the one described by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet :)In the small tunnel leading to the balcony, people have written their own love notes. There's a Cisco loves Hannah in there somewhere.Verona also has a castle...Castle Vecchio is an art museum now with quite a nice selection. Watch out for this motley crew storming the castle walls!We enjoyed some walks through the city. But we were all ready to head home when it was time to go.The volcano was still causing air space closures on the day of our rescheduled flight, so we made the tough decision to head home by train. We were expecting the worst (about 13 hours with Jackson going stir-crazy) but ended up having a lovely trip...if a bit long. Jackson did great on the train - and we had a couple hour stop over in Munich so he got to stretch his legs a bit. All in all, a wonderful trip...The little man enjoyed his Nana and Bapa so much. Life won't be nearly as fun when they head back to the US.

The Birthday Party!

2010-03-21T08:20:00.004+02:00

On Friday we had Jackson and Ian's 1st Birthday party.Both boys looked like such little men in their button up shirts.There were a few young friends.Lots of grown up friends. (Apparently Jackson likes blondes because Lynne was his favorite girl at the party. He walked her all around the house holding hands.)Marcus and Alicia set up a great play area.And there were many fun presents to open.There was time to play....Time to just chill out...And there were yummy cupcakes!Jackson was into the cream cheese frosting, but only had a bite or two of the cake...that's my boy...I'm a big fan of frosting :)I went ahead and helped Jackson finish the cupcake...I certainly wouldn't want it to go to waste :)Here's a short video of the boys and the singing of Happy Birthday - their faces are priceless.

Happy 1st Birthday, boys!What a fun party! But now I'm wiped out!

Jackson's Birthday

2010-03-09T12:14:00.004+02:00

Yesterday was Jackson's 1st Birthday. Since we aren't having the party for another week and a half, we decided to do something special as a family. We were going to go to the zoo, but the weather turned COLD again. So, we decided we would go to Aqua Palace - an indoor water park.Jackson stared in amazement for a few minutes, but then got right into it!There were slides.Which he thought were pretty great.And he enjoyed hanging out and playing with these bars.But his favorite thing was the cool water fall.He thought it was amazing!We had such a fun time! This video has some of our favorite moments.

Happy Birthday, Jackson! You are SO loved!

Swim Classes

2010-03-09T09:23:00.006+02:00

Jackson and Mommy (along with friends Ian and Alicia) just finished an 8 week swim class.Each class starts with about 15-20 minutes of group exercises. During this time, Jackson generally disregards the instruction of our teacher and tries to run off on his own, either playing with something else in the room or trying to go straight to the pool.Ready to swim!We do some group activities. If you're thinking one of those babies looks a little "off" it's because our instructor swims with a plastic doll named Suzanka.Jackson really enjoys the water.We practice "jumping" in off the side of the pool.Jackson and Ian have a great time at swim class. Moms enjoy it, too!The babies have even learned how to go underwater! At the end of class, we have some free swim time. Jackson LOVES free time. Jumping in from the side of the pool is his favorite thing...He feels like such a big boy!

11 Months Old

2010-03-01T13:21:00.000+02:00

Time is flying by, and we're quickly approaching Jackson's first birthday...we can hardly believe it. Jackson's growing and learning all the time. He started regularly using some signs this month. Here he is practicing with Dad. This book has a few of our favorites. Here's Jackson trying the sign for water.Reading books continues to be Jackson's favorite thing. All day long he goes to his bookshelf to pick the book he wants, then brings it to Mommy or Daddy to sit down and read. It's not surprising that the first sign he did on his own was "book".We've had some fun play dates with Ian this month...and the boys are really starting to enjoy each other.They like all of the same activities - and fashions. (Check out the LL Cool J pants they've got going on.)The best day Ian and Jackson had together was when they stayed late at our house and got to have bath time together.They really enjoyed the post bath play time. I definitely had some better pics than this one, but they exposed the family jewels & I thought maybe I should show a little respect :)Woody is putting up with a lot from Jackson these days.And Jackson is getting more gentle...in general :)Mostly this month, we've just really enjoyed Jackson's growing personality. He is so funny and clever. We laugh a lot...at his antics... And funny faces. Silly boy!

Hope for Spring....

2010-02-26T14:43:00.007+02:00

We just had our first sunny (above 0 degree) day in months! The snow has almost all melted. Hooray - there is hope for Spring! It was so beautiful that we had to get out and enjoy it. We met up with Marcus and Ian and hopped on a tram. Wondering why Cisco's making that face? He's just asked whether we could "capture the smell" on camera :) The man in the back of the photo was pretty ripe.We headed down to the Vltava River to feed the swans. Mommy's showing Jackson how to do it.
Like this, Mom?
The swans were very brave.
Jackson and Ian were both pretty fascinated.
Okay, I think I'll give it a try.
Come and get it, swan!
The swans were a little more hesitant when Jackson tried to give them bread...but that's probably a good thing :)
What a beautiful, beautiful bird!
We're pretty sure Jackson would have walked right into the river if he could. Don't worry...Mom's got a death grip on his back!
It's always a treat to walk through town, see Prague Castle in the background and remind ourselves that we live here :)
Back on a tram for the ride home. Jackson's starting to get excited about the trams and Metro trains these days.
So thankful for the gorgeous day, the sunshine, and of course our wonderful baby... Life is good!

10 Months Old!

2010-02-08T11:36:00.001+02:00

We arrived safely back in Prague just in time for some beautiful snowfall! We took Jackson over to the park to see what he thought.Jackson's getting a demonstrating on how to eat snow. Daddy's an expert.It was pretty cold, so we only stayed out for a little bit, but Jackson thought it was pretty neat.

Jackson's 10th month has been very fun. He's learning so much now...and he makes us laugh all the time. He's so fun and silly - and did I mention smart? Here's a 2 minute video showing some of his favorite things.

We are so proud of our boy!

New Years in Lake Chelan

2010-01-20T19:41:00.001+02:00

After a wonderful Christmas in Bellingham, we were off for a week at Lake Chelan to meet some friends for the New Year. We were the first to arrive of the group. We settled in to our nice quiet condo...and then within two hours everyone had arrived. It certainly wasn't quiet anymore :)But that was A-Okay with Jackson! He loved having all the kids around. He and Ocea hit it off right away (this is a good thing, because we've been match-making with the Rietz's since Jackson was born).Jackson got to experience his first snow.

We enjoyed a nice walk using our new fab back pack (Thanks Rietz Family!). Jackson was happy to be outside.We walked along the beautiful lake.And Jackson got to taste his first snow.Hmmm...Yep...tastes like snow. You always think it's going to taste better than it actually does.Awww - there's a happy family.Here's the whole group of us (except for the Baines and Foote couples that came up just for the new year). Jed and Cisco always find time to be silly.And here's one of all the girls. Looks like I'm going to need to have a girl baby next...Everyone else has got one!Jackson learned a few things while we were in Chelan. One of the most important was learning how to get off the bed. Pretty good for 9 months :)

And he learned how to clap.

With all those big kids around, his walking improved a lot, too!
One of our the best reasons for visiting Chelan is to go to our favorite vineyard, which happens to belong to our good friends, The Bensons.The vineyard is beautiful. And the wine is delicious!Night at Benson Vineyards was particularly beautiful.Our New Year's Eve celebration included 12 adults and 8 kids between the ages of 5 weeks and 4 years old. We celebrated and watched the ball drop on east coast time so that the kids could see it. They all cheered then hugged and kissed before heading to bed. The adults stayed up for the west coast New Year, but kept it pretty mellow.What a fun time we all had in Lake Chelan. Maybe we can make it a yearly tradition!We were back in Seattle just a few days before it was time to head back to Prague. Jackson got to enjoy a little more quality time with Leif and Ocea.And then we were off... We will miss our friends and family so much. Now that we have Jackson, it's so much harder to be away. We love you all!

The Holidays - 2009

2010-01-05T14:36:00.001+02:00

Jackson and I arrived in Spokane just before Thanksgiving. We spent nearly 4 weeks with my family and enjoyed every minute! We ended up taking loads of video because my mom got a new FlipVideo camera. So, in lieu of photos, here's a video with clips from our time in Spokane.

An extra treat for Jackson in Spokane was getting to hang with his new friend, Leo, the son of Mommy's friend of 25 years!

When our time was up, Grandpa Jack and Grandma Gena drove us to Seattle to meet up with Daddy! We were only in Seattle for a couple of days, so we got together for a dinner and quick Christmas celebration with Grandpa Jim and Uncle Dylan.Silly Grandpa Jim!All the Walker Boys...Aren't they handsome :)Next, we were off to Bellingham to Grandma Kathy's house for Christmas. Grandma Kathy's house was so festive. Her tree was beautiful and VERY interesting for Jackson.Here is Jackson opening his first of MANY Christmas presents from Grandma Kathy.

I think he likes it! (Actually, I know he likes it...he plays with it all the time these days.)And here he's sporting some of his new duds (sweater and hat) from Liz. Hand knit and everything!And now, a present from Aunt Sam. Waiting patiently for it to come out of the packaging...And...whoopie...it's a hit!

We all enjoyed Christmas. Even Baxter (the 19 year old cat). He's digging into his cat nip treat! Jackson really enjoyed his time with all the family. And he was SPOILED with gifts! What a Merry Christmas for us all!

Jackson at 8 Months Old

2009-12-01T09:13:00.002+02:00

It's a quick one...but we wanted to put up a few pics and a couple of videos from Jackson's 8th month. Enjoy!As you can see, Jackson's been trying to make friends with the cats. Woody has been a bit more receptive than Clementine...though neither is a big fan of Jax yet.He's also a big fan of the computer.He's pretty sure he knows how it works. I've never tried using my tongue on the mouse pad...but maybe that's something new these days.Also, we put up a safety gate in front of the radiator in Jackson's play area (trying to avoid him touching it). He was just fine with this move and found a great way to use the gate.Up...Up! He's barely 8 months old...is he supposed to be able to climb like this?A couple days before Thanksgiving, Jackson and Momma headed to the US to spend the holidays with family. He had his first professional photos taken. Awww!And we had so much fun with all the family. Here's a real short clip of Jackson laughing with Grandma Gena -- and there will be more on all our time with the family in the next blog post.
For now, I'll leave you with a short video. The first clip is just after we arrived in Spokane, and the second is two weeks later...We think he's a pretty quick learner :)

Portugal!

2009-11-09T10:11:00.030+02:00

This year during our school's October holiday, we went to Portugal with our good friends Marcus, Alicia and baby Ian. We rented an apartment together for the week, which turned out to be just perfect. The boys really enjoyed each other.And the location was fantastic...right in the heart of the Baixa district. There were 5 restaurants within a few steps of our front door. Or in parent speak, all within range of the monitors. All four of us ate out almost every night!On our first morning, Cisco, Jackson and I went out for a morning walk-about. We walked through Rossio Square. Among other things, Lisbon is known for it's beautiful tiled streets......and hundreds of buildings with tile facades......and its custard tarts, pastel de nata. We stopped that morning for our first of many.Later in the afternoon we took a ride on the must-do tram #28.The hills in Lisbon are some of the steepest in the world that trams go up and down. This tram meanders through the town close to the waters sailed by Vasco de Gama.And just a short walk away from one end was the Castelo de São Jorge.The views were spectacular...especially with the setting sun.We explored the castle grounds... ..and walked the perimeter walls.Later on in the trip, we visited the outstanding Lisbon Oceanarium, a product of the World's Fair Expo of 1998. This meant a ride on the Metro. Cisco and Jackson are having a nice moment here as we wait for the train to arrive.The Metro stations were really nice and kept with the tile theme.This is Vasco, the mascot of the Oceanarium, and the other mascots.This place was incredible! They had a huge centrally located tank with giant rays...

And they had this prehistoric behemoth called a sun fish. It looked like a giant swimming rock.And plenty of sharks!

Wow, that's a big screen!
This is the Jackson Bay shark from Australia.And the sea dragon...incredible!Here's Jackson posing with Vasco. Really he was sticking his head through a hole, but a little creative Photoshop coloring and: voila!The next day we headed just a few miles out of the center to the Belem district. Our first stop was at the original custard tart shop. The boys waited patiently as Alicia and I ordered some warm yummy tarts!Then we all walked to the park across the street to sit and enjoy them. Warm is definitely best!We shared some of the flaky crust with the pigeons. Jackson and Ian loved discovering pigeons.We played in the grass for a bit.And the boys enjoyed some...bonding time?What a face!That's the moneymaker.Across the street was the Monastery of Jeronimos...home of Vasco da Gama's tomb.We tried to get in, but it was closed.So we just explored the area awhile.There was plenty for Cisco to show Jackson. (Note: Don't try this at home :-)"Hey, this one's empty!"Just down the street were the Belem tower......and the Monument to the Discoveries.Jackson and Ian enjoyed a little more cuddling & then we headed back home for the night.The next morning Marcus and Hannah got up early with the kids and headed out for an early walk. We went to the local market - fruits, vegetables, and fish.Jackson and Ian were a BIG hit. They were Grandma magnets! :)Then later that morning we all headed out for another walk-about. Nice shades.Okay - now they're ready to go.We stopped at the Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or Sé de Lisboa. It's the oldest church in Lisbon and dates from 1147.Inside, it was beyond ornate.....and it had one of the creepiest reliquaries we've ever seen. It actually had two reliquaries (like the one below) on each side of the altar. One was filled with the remains of male saints and one with female remains. I'll say it again, that is one aspect of Catholicism that I just don't get.We continued our walk through the lovely Alfama district mulling this over. Check out this cool tree that was a central piece to the park we stumbled on.The last day we took a train out of town to visit some castles in the Sintra area. To get there, we had to go to the Rossio train station - cool building!In the Sintra area there are loads of castles, but with the babies and impending rain, we knew we'd have to limit ourselves, so we chose the two biggies. Both were a bus ride up into the hills which meant we still managed to bag a couple castles on our way.This was our first stop -- the ruins of an old Moorish castle, the Castelo dos Mouros.Apparently, the forest was winning this seige.That's the perimeter wall in the distance, from the perimeter wall on this side.We attempted to walk it all...but the rain was coming down pretty hard and the steps were slick. Even though Jackson didn't seem to mind, we turned back. Well,Only Cisco made it all the way up. Next, on to a totally different type of castle. This one was taken right out of Candy Land.When we arrived at Sintra Castelo, it was completely surrounded by mist.And we could hardly tell the castle was painted in bright colors.
The mist still lent a fairy-tale feel to the experience, though.We toured the inside of the palace, but weren't allowed to take photos. When we came out the mist had cleared.So we got to see not only the castle, but the surrounding landscape as well.We walked the castle wall, of course. It's just good practice to secure the perimeter.And then it was time to head back to Lisbon.We all had a great time and both the boys did really well throughout the week. Come to think of it, all four boys did.

Jackson's 7 Months Old!

2009-11-02T12:17:00.006+02:00

We've definitely got a mover and a shaker on our hands! We'll just start with this short video showing Jackson in action on the day he turned 7 months old.

As you can see, he's a proper crawler now...which makes him very happy as he can better explore different areas of the house.And he's using whatever he can to pull himself up to standing.He's very expressive. Some might say he has a bit of a short fuse... We think he gets that trait from his Dad :)His favorite thing is still licking stuff...And later this week he will visit his 7th country...That's one busy 7-month old!Short and sweet...but there's more to come soon as we just returned from a trip to Portugal and have lots to share! Stay tuned!

Jackson is 6 Months Old!

2009-10-03T10:04:00.011+02:00

People have told us from the beginning how fast the time goes when you have a little one. Still...we weren't expecting it to go as fast as it has. Jackson is 6 months old now and passing mile stone after mile stone. He has 2 teeth (which you can see if you click and enlarge this photo). And while you've got the photo enlarged, check out those eyelashes...wow!Things he couldn't do even a few weeks ago, he is mastering now. For one, his Jolly Jumper skills are solid.

And this is one strong little man. He is active at practically every waking moment. He loves playing in his play area. He and his daddy have very fun times together there. They play this game where they lay down and Cisco throws the soccer ball up in the air and catches it.Jackson thinks it's amazing. His dad is probably the coolest guy in the world.Cisco's trying to work on the soccer interest early.I think it's working.One of Jackson's favorite things to do is pull out all his books. And "read" them.Another favorite activity...licking stuff.Which also goes well with the books.And his most favorite activity of late is standing up. He surprised us a few weeks ago as we watched him use his exer-saucer to stand up on his own. We were not prepared for this at 6 months!He's so proud of himself, and now he just can't stand enough. He's so good at it, he thinks he'll try it without holding on.And he thinks maybe he'll try climbing next. The cushy flooring has been great...considering all the falling he does.

Ready?I'm Up!Uh-Oh!I'm Down.But, don't worry...I'm right back up again!He's still pretty unstable as you will see in this video. But, the falling doesn't seem to bother him. He just pops right back up!

Jackson also started solid foods this month...well...at least we're working on it. He's not been a big fan of anything so far except the spoon. Here's a video of his very first food taste - banana. As you'll see, the reviews were mixed.

The only food he seemed to like alright was brown rice.And I think he mostly liked it because I made it thin enough that he could drink it.We'll keep trying...and if he's anything like his mom and dad, we know he'll love food eventually :) Maybe we should make everything drinkable.

We'll end this entry with a couple photos of Jackson wearing his Grampa Jack's cowboy boots from when he was a baby. I couldn't find the right outfit to go with them, so we decided to go with the birthday suit :)

And, well...you see what you think of this last video. We were pretty darn impressed with our 6 and a half month old!

Jackson's 5th Month

2009-09-12T15:33:00.011+02:00

It's been an exciting month! Jackson and I made the LONG trip from Prague to Washington State to come home and visit friends and family. Unfortunately, Dad didn't get to come since he had to start back to work. Jax did super on the way over (all 24 hours of it), but Mom (with zero sleep) was exhausted upon arrival! Thank goodness Gramma Gena and Grampa Jack were fresh and ready to start baby duty!We spent our first few days just relaxing and hanging out at the Bradford house. Jackson got to meet the family dogs. They definitely took a liking to him :)Straight away, Jackson broke orders from his Dad: "don't do anything new while you are away." Our first day in Spokane, Jackson popped up on his hands and knees for the first time. Barely 5 months old and it looks like he's ready to crawl!Jackson enjoyed quality time with his Gramma Gena. She knows how to keep a baby entertained!And Grampa Jack...the ultimate soother. He even got to enjoy a few middle of the night rockings with his Grampa as we were adjusting to the time change and trying to get through some teething pains.Jackson got to meet his Aunt Kelly and Aunt Emily.His cousin Maggie.And cousin Abby.He even got to visit cousin Abby's kindergarten classroom!Jackson also got to meet his Great Gramma Pauline. She was so blessed, she cried!Then, it was off to Seattle for a few days. Grampa Jack, Gramma Gena, Mom and Jackson piled into the car for the trip across the state. We stopped in Vantage for a picnic and a little fresh air.I forgot to pack Jackson's hat, so he had to borrow one from Grampa Jack :)Our first night in Western Washington was at Great Aunt Marcia's for a Walker family BBQ. Unfortunately, I didn't take as many photos as I should have so we don't have pics of all the people that were there...sorry, folks. But Jackson definitely enjoyed meeting a bunch of the Walker/Hagel clan.Great Aunt Marcia (Gammy) and Jackson hit it off right away.Jackson got to meet his Grampa Jim for the first time. This silly face is one that Jim said Cisco used to make all the time when he was a baby. Jim and Jackson developed a comfortable relationship in no time.And Jackson also got to meet his Uncle Dylan.The next day we headed up to Seattle & enjoyed a BBQ at the Rietz home. Again...no pics (oops), but thanks Kim and Jed for hosting the BBQ! We got to see lots of our close friends...and the group of kids keeps growing every year!
The next night Cisco's Mom's side of the family came down from Bellingham for a visit. Jackson got all cleaned up for the event...and we just couldn't resist taking a few photos of him fresh from his bath :)The family arrived and Gramma Kathy was so happy to see Jackson again! He was happy to see her, too :)And Jackson got to meet his Great Gramma Charlotte.And his Aunt Sam!Jackson wanted to show everyone his new tricks. Here's a quick video with Gramma Kathy and Aunt Sam. Jackson's 5 months and 1 week old here.

Our trip to the west side was short, but sweet! Oh...and Jackson's first tooth came through the night before we left.
We headed back to Spokane where Jackson got to meet a new friend, Leo, and his mom, Katie. Katie is one of my best friends...we've known each other since 3rd grade!Leo was born just 3 days after Jackson this year. Looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.Jackson's personality is really developing these days. His laugh is wonderful. Here's a short video of him giggling with Grampa Jack.

Jackson let's us know when he's enjoying something...and also when he's done enjoying things :)One thing is for sure...Jackson is on the move in his 5th month!

Life as a 4-Month Old

2009-07-18T19:12:00.007+02:00

Things are definitely getting more exciting around the house these days. Jackson is growing and changing constantly. He's got himself a Jolly-Jumper (we used to call it a Johnny Jump-Up). He's no expert, yet, but he's definitely working hard at it! He's also started enjoying his "Exer-Saucer". This gives Mom and Dad a chance eat a hands-free meal...Hallelujah!He's even getting old enough to enjoy having a friend over!This is Ian, Jackson's friend who was born just 9 days after him.These boys are going to be great friends as Ian's mom, Alicia, and I will both be home with the boys next year (and we live just a few blocks apart).And last, but not least, Jackson's rolling over! He rolls both front to back and back to front...Look out, world!

Walker Family Vacation (Part 3) - Roma!

2009-07-14T15:17:00.018+02:00

Our final few days were spent in Rome. There was so much to see in such a short time, but it was also VERY HOT, so upon our afternoon arrival, we decided to enjoy a short siesta then go for an evening walk about. Jackson's siesta continued after we had already started our walking.Having been to Egypt where we learned about the 29 remaining ancient obelisks scattered around the world (we've seen them in Egypt, England, Turkey, Scotland and France), we were excited to see one in front of us as we approached the Spanish steps.The Spanish steps are a popular gathering point because they offer beautiful city views.We continued on, stopping for dinner, then we walked to the Piazza del Popolo with its beautiful fountains and another obelisk.

It was a lovely night, and everywhere we turned there was another gorgeous building... Fountain... Or monument to see.
The next morning we set off bright and early.We did the ultimate tourist activity - the Open Top Bus Tour.Aside from being (at times) too hot, the open bus tour was awesome! We went past the Roman Forum...The Colosseum...Circus Maximus (which is now just a large grassy field, awaiting excavation)...Piazza del Popolo (which we had seen the night before)...We passed a site with temple ruins that, according to the guide, may or may not have been the place where Julius Caesar was stabbed... ("Et tu Brute?")Then we crossed the River Tiber...And approached Vatican City. Look, another obelisk! We were starting to wonder 'just how many obelisks are in Rome?'We decided to take a guided tour of Vatican City. It started by walking to the Vatican Museum past Il Passeto...the secret passage that the pope uses to flee Vatican City should it ever be under attack. It's 1 mile long (leading to Castel Sant'Angelo) and it's inside this big brick wall. The courtyard of the Vatican Museum was beautiful. That's the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the background. Next to that, the Gregor Tower, of Pope Gregory XIII who bestowed upon us our calendar.In one area of the museum, all the genitals of the statues had been covered with fig leaves. In another section, they were removed from the statues altogether. And there were A LOT of statues in this section. Apparently at this particular time, whatever pope was in charge thought it was vulgar, so he had them all removed. All the "special parts" are in boxes somewhere in the museum as they couldn't bare to throw them out. Apparently, the museum used to show them, but they kept getting stolen. Then, the last room in the museum is Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Though it's "technically" forbidden to take photos inside the chapel, Cisco managed to get a couple good ones :) Shhh!The chapel was beautiful, to say the least. But Hannah had to rush out of this quiet zone (guards were responsible for issuing out chapel-wide SHHH!'s every 5 minutes) when Jackson decided that it was time to eat and he was going to yell about it until he got fed! He had been perfectly quiet and content up to this point for two hours. His timing is really impeccable. As you can see, once Jackson was fed, he was perfectly content again. (The Sistine Chapel is just at the top of those stairs.)Next, we visited the crypt containing the remains of the previous popes, then our last stop in Vatican City was St. Peter's Basilica. By now, the Walkers have seen A LOT of churches, cathedrals and basilicas around the world. It was almost starting to feel like, "If you've seen one, you've seen them all." However, St. Peter's Basilica is in a class all its own. It was truly incredible.We left the Basilica and passed a couple of the infamous Swiss Guards stationed at the Vatican. Swiss Guards at the Vatican must be Catholic, Swiss, celibate, male (although they're considering allowing women to apply), between the ages of 19 and 30, at least 174 cm tall, must have a high school or professional degree, and must have completed basic training in the Swiss military. Sheeesh!!We were reaching siesta, as was evident by the scorching heat, so we decided to hop back on the open bus and head to the air-conditioned hotel.There were more interesting places to see on the return trip.Including yet another obelisk in the distance.Then we stopped to cool off at the Piazza della Repubblica fountain (just a couple blocks from our hotel).We all enjoyed a siesta, then Kathy and Cisco took off for another evening of exploration.The famous Trevi Fountain at night, a social hotspot of young and old alike.
St. Peter's, glowing over the rooftops.The Parthenon, moon, and yet another obelisk.The following morning, Kathy and Cisco were off on another adventure while Hannah and Jackson got some much needed R&R&R (rest, relaxation and reprieve from the heat!).They explored some ruins. Here's Cisco trying to get the perfect shot of the ruins around Circus Maximus.
They walked through the Roman Forum.They took a turn around Circus Maximus. (I'm still surprised that this is what it looks like...not the big, grand stadium depicted in Ben Hur.)They came across this statue...featuring Romulus and Remus, who were said to be raised by wolves before founding Rome.They came back to the hotel for some of that delightful R&R&R during the siesta hours, then we all set off to our final Roman destination...The Colisseum.When we arrived at the Colosseum, we found that it was temporarily closed. There were lots of police surrounding the site, which we learned was for the protection of the visiting Chinese Prime Minister (or the Chinese "First" Minister as was told to us by a local...I think something was lost in translation there). You might be able to see Wen Jiabao if you look closely at the zoomed in section. Oh well...it was a perfect opportunity to change Jackson's diaper & clothing...seeing as how he had just peed on me and himself. Again, impeccable timing.Before long, we were let into the Colosseum. It was very cool!And VERY HOT! Jackson was drinking (licking) as much water as he could get.We were all trying to imagine what this place looked like in its original splendor.Back in its day, the whole place was covered in white marble and sat 50-70,000 season ticket holders...imagine that!There was also an awesome view of the Roman Forum from the Colosseum. Zoom in to check it out. Apparently, just behind Hannah, a 100' tall "colossal" statue of Nero once stood, giving the Flavian Amphitheater its more common name, Colisseum.Our time in Rome was packed. And we would definitely like to go back again (maybe not in the scorching summer though). At any rate, we taxied to the airport, ready to fly home. And much to our pleasure, Jackson did wonderfully well on the flight home. He didn't cry or complain one bit! Oh...and for those of you who are interested in the obelisks...we found out that Rome has 13 of them, though only 8 are originals (the other 5 are more modern copies). Still, 8 of 29 is a lot...and according to our tour guide, they were all taken during the conquering of Egypt.

Walker Family Vacation (Part 2) - Italy

2009-07-14T10:26:00.036+02:00

We left off the previous post just as we arrived at the port in Ancona, Italy. From here we picked up a rental car (which was, unfortunately, a LONG ordeal that I will not go into) and we hit the road heading to the Umbria region. As we drove across the country, we were amazed by the hundreds of sunflower fields we saw. Beautiful!We arrived around midnight to the farm house in Monticchio where we would be spending the week and went immediately to bed. We got up the next morning and did a bit of exploring around our new home.As I look back at this picture, it appears to be a little dreamier than it actually was. The house was VERY rustic...I'd say one step above camping :) Nonetheless, the country was beautiful.And very peaceful.And we had a pool, so Jackson got to experience swimming for the first time. (More pics on that in a bit.)Umbria is a region very similar to (and right next to) Tuscany. It's known for its hill towns and vineyards (oh...and it's truffles...which we ate LOTS of...the pig-sniffing variety, not the chocolate variety).

At any rate, the first hill town we visited was Orvieto. All of the hill tows have lovely narrow, winding streets.And shops with local goods.What was unique to Orvieto was this beautiful church in its center.We wandered around, had some delicious dinner (including truffle pasta), then headed back to the farm house. The next day we set off for the town of Montepulciano.The view of the countryside was spectacular from this hill town. Again, we walked around lovely winding streets.Montepulciano is known for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a very nice red wine varietal.We visited a cellar and tasting room.And we even got to visit a "private" tasting room...on account of how I needed someplace to change Jackson's diaper :) As usual, Jackson was a big hit. Here he is dishing out the grins with an Italian woman.And on our way out of town, Cisco found this...?On our third day in Monticchio, we decided to try out the swimming pool. We took it nice and slow, and Jackson seemed to think it was just fine.We also decided to let him air out in the sun for a few minutes. So, we took off his plethera of protective gear.
And let him lay in the sun for a minute or two.Later that day, we drove to the town of Assisi, where St. Francis of Assisi was from.Assisi was the largest of the hill towns we visited. It had a number of beautiful churches. As we walked in toward the center...The first church we came across was San Rufino.Jackson completely missed that one.Next we reached the Basilica of St. Clare.And then there was the church of St. Mary of the Angels.The interesting thing about these churches is that when the Franciscans (followers of the teachings of St. Francis) settled in California, they named Los Angeles after the church of St. Mary of the Angels, San Francisco after St. Francis, and Santa Clara after St. Clare.Before heading to the largest church, the Basilica of St. Francis, we decided to have a picnic lunch. We walked up to this castle where there was a lovely, quiet picnic area on the left of this tower:We ate meats, cheeses, bread, and olives. We even had a bottle of wine that we picked up in the town. It was a hot day, so Jackson enjoyed getting out of the front pack and airing out a bit. After satiation and a diaper change, we headed back into town. Remember that umbrella I bought in Croatia? Well it came into good use as protection from the hot afternoon sun. Back in the town of Assisi, we walked past the old Roman Forum and the Temple of Minerva. Before reaching the Basilica of St. Francis.It was a beautiful church (though we weren't allowed to take any photos inside the church) and a working monastery. This was in the center of the basilica compound (shh, don't tell anyone).On our way back through the town we came across this fountain. Jackson was fascinated with the spouting water.He is REALLY taking in so much from his environment these days.Oh, and before we left the town, we found one more use for that umbrella :)On the way home from Assisi, on the recommendation of Rick Steves, we decided to stop for dinner in the small hill town of Spello. There wasn't much to the town, but this restaurant was recommended for its beautiful view of the landscape. This was the view from our table. We had a nice dinner, and Jackson sat in his first high chair. He didn't last long in it (15 minutes or so), but it was still somewhat of a milestone.One of our favorite hill towns was Cortona. Cortona is actually in Tuscany. It is the last hill town in Tuscany before you reach Umbria.We liked it so much, we went twice! The first time we went was late in the evening. We were in the town long enough to find a GREAT leather bag store just before it closed, and to eat dinner at a lovely restaurant (delicious food!) overlooking the main square. Another of Jackson's milestones on this vacation included drinking (licking, more like) water. He LOVED it!Jackson also learned that looking UP offers a lot of interesting material.All that learning is hard work...makes a baby tired!Our second trip to Cortona was during the day. Kathy and I went back to the bag store :) And Cisco wandered through the town snapping photos.There was a couple that had just gotten married...what a gorgeous place for a wedding!
This building, the Casali Palace, has the family crest of many Florentine captians that ruled Cortona in the 15th-17th century. Every 6 months a new captian was sent from Florence.Jackson thought the town was alright, but he was much more interested in his dinosaur shoes than anything else.With just another couple days in Monticchio, we thought we better get in one more swim with Jackson. So, we dressed him up in his second swim outfit.And hung out in the pool for a while. Again, he seemed to think it was just fine.We also gave him another opportunity to air out in the sun a bit after his swim. In the last nude photo, we were kind enough to post a picture that "hid the goods," so to speak. But, we just couldn't resist posting this one. Do you think this counts as child abuse?The last hill town we visited, on our last day in Umbria, was Montalcino. It is a small town... in a BIG wine region.We quickly walked through the town.Stopped for a bite to eat.And an opportunity for Jackson to practice his water-drinking (licking) skills. And Kathy and Jackson took the opportunity to study a map showing the location of many of the 250 (or more) vineyards in the surrounding area of Montalcino. Then we made for the fortress, where they have a wine shop and tasting room.The specialty wine in this area is called Brunello: it's made with a Sangiovese grape, but requires a minimum of 5 years in the cask, unlike your typical Sangiovese wine. And this shop was packed with different types of Brunello!Having NO idea what to choose, we let one of the women who works at the shop chose some wines for us to taste.Between the three of us, we got to try 10 different Brunellos. Delicious!Overall, our time in Umbria was excellent!Next stop (next blog post) Rome! But first, Jackson wants to look back at some pictures of our time in Umbria.

The First Walker Family Vacation (Part 1) - Croatia

2009-07-11T14:16:00.014+02:00

Well...we did it...we took the plunge and set out on a proper trip with baby in tow. Gramma Kathy came to town and we thought, what better time to travel than when we have an extra pair of hands (plus, she's already been to Prague a couple of times)! So, off we went to Croatia and Italy (see the next post for more on Italy). Here's Jackson in his car seat, ready to set off.The plane ride there was not exactly dreamy. The flight attendant's announcements were extremely loud, which scared Jackson and caused the crying to start LONG before the plane even took off. We were seated in the back of the plane with about 10 other small children & babies, and at least half of them were crying at any given time during the flight. So, Jackson did his part and cried or fussed for about half the trip...STRESSFUL!! Good thing the flight was only an hour and a half long. So, we landed, all was well again, and here we are picking up our rental car getting ready to drive to the small coastal town of Komarna.The drive to Komarna was NOT a quiet one. We were in the middle of the craziest thunder, lightning, rain and hail storm I've ever been in. I'm not sure this video does it justice, but it was fantastic and scary! It lasted for nearly the whole 2 hour drive.

We arrived late at night at our apartment for the week. So, we didn't get to see the beautiful view until the next morning.Due to inclement weather, and Jackson's need for some time to adjust to the new surroundings, we hung out at the apartment for our first couple days. A perfect opportunity for Jax to try out his new sunglasses and sun hat :)Hanging at home didn't mean we weren't having good times though. Check out this video of Jackson and his daddy having some play time.

Our first destination in Croatia was Dubrovnik. It's a beautiful walled city in the far south of Croatia. The old town is the large area with all the red roofs. This photo doesn't look like much in its small size here, but click to enlarge it...it's really fantastic!At least...it would have seemed beautiful if it weren't DOWN-POURING almost as hard as it had been on that first drive. People were absolutely frozen in place, huddling together, trying (in vain) not to get drenched.As soon as we got into the city, I popped into the first store I could find so that we could buy an extra umbrella and something to keep Jackson warm. This ended up being a giant towel of the Croatian flag. Could I look MORE like a tourist? :)We decided pretty quickly to stop into a restaurant and try to dry out a bit.Then it was back out into the city for a trip around the city walls. Dubrovnik really is a beautiful city. Here are a few shots we got as we walked around the city walls. Through all the rain and wind, Jackson stayed cozy and happy.It would have been nice to see Dubrovnik in the sun! Which, as our luck would have it, came out just as we were leaving. Ah well...c'est la vie. We headed back to our apartment in Komarna in time for a bath for Jackson. Then the adults got to enjoy a dinner on the balcony.The next day, we headed across the border into Bosnia-Herzegovina to go to Kravica Falls. We got Jackson all dressed up in his new swim gear...very stylish, don't you think?The drive was lovely.Though we were not expecting anything as beautiful as what we saw when we arrived at the falls.It was a beautiful oasis. We spent just a couple hours here taking in the beautiful views...including some awesome dragon flies.Zoom in on this one & check out that face!Jackson enjoyed time with Momma...And Daddy...And Gramma...And even a few strangers :) Once again, he was a big hit with his big smile and bright blue eyes. Our other stop in Bosnia-Herzegovina was the town of Medjugorje...famous for the numerous sightings of the Virgin Mary here.Unfortunately, no sightings for us (unless you count ceramic), and the town seemed less of a spiritual destination and more of a tourist trap with tons of stalls selling ceramic Virgin Mary's, postcards and rosaries. But they sure were selling plenty of them!On our way back into Croatia, there were more beautiful sights.Including this castle from the 11th century.We headed back to Komarna, for just one more night. We woke up the next morning to the most beautiful weather we'd seen to date. We took a walk down on the Komarna water front before heading up the coast.We set off for Split...and, as you might guess, headed straight back into the rain! The main attraction in Split it's walled city containing an old Diocletian palace from around 300 AD.The streets of the city were so quiet...practically deserted. All the shops and many of the restaurants were closed. It took us a while before we learned that the few hours we were planning to spend in Split were going to be pretty uneventful as it was a national holiday. C'est la vie again!We walked along the waterfront, which was very lovely (even with the rain).Then, we continued north to our final Croatian destination, Zadar. It is from here that we would be taking a ferry to Italy the following day. We were pleasantly surprised with Zadar. The old town was beautiful. We wandered through the city.....then along a lovely boardwalk, where we found a restaurant and spent the evening of our anniversary.Jackson complied and fell asleep as the sky was growing dark.As we walked back to our hotel at the end of the night, we came across a very cool section at the end of the boardwalk. They had built a wave-powered musical instrument into the bulkhead so that as waves came in they made sounds that kind of sounded like whales talking. There was also a big circle of lights that can't really be described, but can be viewed in this very short video and the following pics.

The next morning we walked to our ferry to set sail for Italy.We spent the 6 hour trip taking turns between checking out the boat and beautiful scenery in the Adriatic Sea, and taking care of Jackson. Here Jackson is sleeping in one of the rare moments of the trip. Over the six hours, he slept for a total of maybe 30 minutes. He was just too excited and didn't want to miss any of his first boat ride.Bye bye Croatia...And Hello Italy! Here we are arriving at our port in Ancona. I'll start working on the next blog with details from the Italian portion of our trip, so stay tuned!

Jackson at 3 Months Old

2009-07-10T11:41:00.007+02:00

Life's gotten a lot more exciting this month as Jackson grows and changes. We have seen a big increase in his interest in EVERYTHING around him. He's enjoying toys and stuffed animals. And he particularly loves reading books. He's grabbing everything he can get his hands on and putting each thing into his mouth...or at least trying. Sometimes he just hits himself in the head with the thing he's trying to taste.Jackson is friendly and smiles a lot at people he meets. He was a big crowd-pleaser at this year's Green Line Marathon. If you don't remember the Green Line Marathon, you can check out last year's blog entry around the event http://walkertravels.blogspot.com/2008/05/green-line-marathon-2008its-not-what.html. Here he is with Daddy.And with our colleagues Susan (first) and Lindsey (second).And though he rarely cries, Jackson was near tears when he saw this character. This...believe it or not...is my boss, John. You may remember him dressed as a Geisha at last year's marathon.So, all is well with baby Jackson. We continue to be very thankful for our boy. He's healthy and happy...and SO DARN CUTE, if I do say so myself :)We've uploaded a couple of videos to youtube if you're interested. There's a video of Jackson enjoying some books with Mommy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAz03I8dgZY

And a video of bathtime with Daddy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esjL6hAg71Y&feature=channel